Thinking with their heads, not their hearts

Fairfield Park District Board member Linda Monge said it best:

“I am thinking with my head and not my heart,” she said when the discussion of the survival of the Kon-Tiki was on the table at last week’s park board meeting.

There are many who would like to see the Kon-Tiki, around 90 years old, survive a kitchen fire that ravaged the inside of the center last winter.  It has been closed since then.

The numbers just don’t add up.

Consider the plate in front of the Park Board. They inherited the golf course  (not a financial winner)….they care for the parks including a number of ball diamonds and the swimming pool.

Their taxing authority is very limited.

And then there is the loss of Airtex, which meant less tax money. 

So, the die was cast. The insurance, with depreciation, would not come close to paying for the renovations…and there are several unknowns like the roof, the air conditioning and internal pipes that were exposed to last winter’s cold.

Senior citizens loved the convenience of the Kon-Tiki. But that ship has sailed. And while the Fairfield Elks have stepped up to provide a temporary home for the WADI senior program, a permanent home is needed.

WADI says they are committed to keeping the program….but they need to find another facility.

The Park District’s hands are tied. They did the fiscally prudent thing in letting the Kon Tiki sail off…